NEW YORK—Normally reserved for an Asian American talk show, this Sunday Nov. 26, at 7:30 p.m., a WNYE-TV Channel 25 program will dedicate its airtime to highlights of a relatively new and widely acclaimed Chinese holiday show put on by the New York-based global television station New Tang Dynasty (NTDTV).
The 30-minute program hosted by NTDTV will feature past performances from Chinese New Year Spectaculars held at Madison Square Garden and Radio City Music Hall. The show, now in its fourth year, features a variety of cultural performances, including dancing, singing and music performances.
With music and dancing that is tranquil and thoughtful at times, and stirring and joyful at others, the show draws on profound themes including the myths and legends found in China's 5,000-year-old culture and the divine beauty so intrinsic in a culture that has thrived on Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism.
The highlights will also be in anticipation of what is to come at NTDTV's Chinese New Year shows this year, one of which is timed to coincide with the actual Chinese New Year in February and one which is timed to coincide with Christmas in December. The coming shows, however, do promise an all new line up performances and are being billed as "Holiday Wonders," on Dec. 19-24 at Beacon Theater, and the "Chinese New Year Spectacular," on Feb. 14-17 at Radio City Music Hall.
Asian America
Reaching 9 million households and a population of about 20 million, Channel 25 beams into New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, and covers the five boroughs of New York City.
Channel 25's Asian America program is the first and only TV program of its kind to be dedicated to Asian Americans and their issues. The show, launched in 1994 and now syndicated by PBS, is produced by two Korean sisters, who said they wanted to give a voice to Asian Americans.
The sisters were so moved after watching NTDTV's holiday show that they agreed to let them fill their 30-minute spot on Channel 25.
Talking about one of her favorite performances, one of the producers, Ms. Jung Sook said, "It shows that a kind person is rewarded and the a bad person is punished." Ms. Jung had been watching one of the show's mini-operas "The Lion's Eyes Turn Red," based on a traditional Chinese tale. The mini-opera will be featured on Sunday, as well as Mongolian dancing, the traditional Chinese two-stringed violin and a re-telling of the now well-known story of the woman-warrior Mulan.
NTDTV host for the upcoming show, Serene Lee, said, "the Asian America program has prepared this special episode in order to promote cultural diversity, to satisfy mainstream America's curiosity in Chinese Culture, as well as Asian Americans' longing for their homeland and their cultural roots."